Down By the Seaside
by mage-luna
Summary: Their lives collided like waves on a sandy beach...
1. Chapter 1

~I don't own Hunger Games. Special thanks to my beta, **musicisjustme**. She wrote the nightmare for me. ~

The darkness floods my eyesight as I strain my pupils to find light, hoping to bring relief to the horrifying images still burned into my thoughts. There I am, standing in the roped off area with the other thirteen-year-old boys, waiting for Fredrick Himpleton to pick the tributes names from the two large glass balls on stage. My name, only in twice this year, hopefully resting out of the way. And then Fredrick is at the girl's ball, and he's calling a name. "Coral Marina."

The poor girl, she's just twelve. And she's walking up to the stage, staring at her feet the whole way. "Volunteers?" Fredrick asks. Not a soul jumps for the little girl. "Alright. Moving right along, now for the boys!" he says, a smile playing at his lips.

He shuffles his hand around in the ball for a bit, testing slips of paper. He'll have one almost out of the ball, and then he drops it, going back in for another. Finally, he has one and is walking back to the microphone. "Finnick Odair," he reads. Okay. I'm all right, I think. Surely someone will volunteer for me? We are a career district. Someone stronger than me should be taking my place. Someone will. I know they will.

And then I'm standing on the stage, and no one is stepping up for me. What is it this year? No one wants to bring home the glory of winning? I'm seeing my death, and its horrible. Someone slashing my throat at the Cornucopia, dying of dehydration, eating poisonous food, being caught in someone's trap then tortured for hours before being granted the gift of death…

The stillness of the early morning is sweet relief as I sit up, clutching my sheets. Just a dream. I'm still safe in my bed, in my house…for now. I suck in a few deep breaths, letting the smell of fish fill my senses. The house always smelled like fish- my father owned a fishing boat, and my mother helped clean the day's haul to be sent to the Capitol. The smell would seep into our clothes and hair and lungs. It was inescapable.

A few more breaths, and another smell is hitting me full on; the sweet, salty scent of the ocean. It clears my head a little bit. My heart rate slows a little. I'm still here. The odds are still in my favor. Two slips. I don't have a chance of getting chosen…right?

There's no way I'm getting back to sleep now. Silently, I slip out of bed and pull on some shorts. Sitting in the silent house won't calm my nerves. I need to get out, stretch my legs. The salty sea air is calling to me. In seconds, I'm down the stairs and in the kitchen, grabbing a slice of bread, then out the back door.

The village is deserted, and unusual thing for this time of morning. I'm usually up this early, helping my father get the boat ready. The village is usually swarming with the early risers, the other boatmen, and those preparing to open their stalls early for the crowds of Capitol-enslaved-workers who will be heading out after the sun rises. Today, however, the village is dead. Everyone is sleeping in. No work on Reaping day.

I head for the beach. Most members of District 4 grow tired of the constant smell of seaweed and fish, grow sick of the salt water surrounding us, but not me. I love to swim. My father likes to joke that I was born in the water. My mother taught me to swim before I learned how to walk. She doesn't swim much anymore, not since her left knee gave out; so I swim for her. The waves are always a welcoming sanctuary for me.

I meander along the beach, eating my slice of bread. The waves lap against my feet, and I want to dive right in. Instead, I head towards a tiny cove around a cliff. The small, secluded area was my favorite place to go when I wanted to be alone. Even in the semi-darkness, my feet know the way.

I collect a handful of flat stones and sit on my favorite set of rocks. The sun breaks over the horizon, its fiery rays reflecting over the glassy surface. I chuck the stones into the water, one by one, and watch them skip across the surface, before sinking and vanishing. After a few minutes, I stand up and dive below the cold surface, following the stones' trajectory to sandy ocean bottom.

The world is quiet down here, surrounded by the kelp and fish. The water is the only thing I know. I float along, my mind finally clear. I let myself sink so I'm sitting on the bottom. The world below is murky and dark. Seaweed twists around my body, and I watch little silver fish dart around me, accepting my presence. I'm calmed by it. I stay there until my oxygen runs out, and then reluctantly return to the real world.

"YOU THERE! STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING!" I wipe the saltwater out of my eyes and turn towards shore, trying to see who's yelling. Nobody is ever awake this early, not on Reaping day.

"What you're doing is breaking the law, do you hear me?" It's Kione Fleeman, one of the Peacekeepers, I recognize his voice now…but breaking the law? All I was doing was swimming. Then again, I had never been caught. I sink down, about to dive under the surface again, and then I realize Kione isn't even looking at me. He's looking at something further down the shore. I squint through the glare of the dawn light. A person is huddled over in the sand- that must be who Kione is yelling at. I sink lower in the water, trying to remain unseen, just in case I'm still breaking some new law.

Kione strides forward and grabs whoever it is by the wrist. I can make out long hair- it must be a girl. I paddle closer, trying to hear what he's saying.

"You know it's against the law to go fishing outside of the designated hours. This is a form of stealing! Do you know how we punish that?" I can't hear the girl's answer, but whatever it is infuriates Kione. He yanks the girl upright. Her hair falls away, and I catch glimpse of her pale, terrified face. It takes me a moment to recall her name- it's Annie. Annie Cresta. She's close to three years younger than me, but I've seen her in the marketplace with her father, who makes fishing poles.

Kione brings out his club and strikes Annie. She crumples onto the sand, and he raises his club as second time. I can't watch this. Annie is so tiny and frail, one more blow like that could kill her. I can't witness anymore despair on a day like today. "STOP!" I cry out, then cut through the water towards the shore. Kione is startled, clearly not expecting anybody else to be around this early. He's lowered his club slightly, searching for me.

I reach shallow waters and stand up straight. Kione usually has patrol near the docks, so he's familiar with both my father and me. I'm hoping this will give me an advantage. "She wasn't fishing," I tell him, looking him straight in the eye. I can see his brow wrinkle up. He doesn't believe me. I need to act fast.

"I asked Annie to meet me here. She's the weakest swimmer in the District." This wasn't a lie- she'd often been talk of the village, being the daughter of the man who makes fishing poles and not swimming at all. Kione continues to grip his club, so I press on. "It's reaping day, and it's early, so I figured there was no chance at all of people being able to watch her. I was going to teach her." I grin at him, trying to smooth it all over.

Kione nods. "You are the best swimmer in the District, Finnick. However, I found this fishing line with her" He holds it out. I need to think absolutely fast. I take the line from Kione and give it a sharp tug. "But you see, this isn't just any fishing wire. This is the strongest fishing wire in her father's shop. I've watched my father catch very big fish with this, and it won't snap. I asked her to bring some with her." I return the wire to Kione, and close his hand around it. "As a lifeline, you see. She's terrified of the water."

"I am," says a soft voice. Annie has come around during the course of our conversation. She's absolutely white. Her wide eyes lock onto mine, and instinctively, I reach forward to help her up. I throw another smile at Kione. "I'm going out with my father tomorrow morning- if the odds are in my favor- how about two fish find their way to your table without reaching the record books?"

Kione bursts out laughing. "Thirteen years old and you already know how to charm." He playfully hits my shoulder. I try not to flinch. "You are your fathers son. All right, you've got yourself a deal." With that, he turns and continues down the beach. As soon as he's out of earshot, I turn to Annie. She's still staring at me, absolutely terrified. "Everything's okay. If he bothers you again, tell me, okay?" She nods, wordlessly.

I kneel down so I'm at eye level with her. "Hey. Come on. Why are you so scared? Aren't you a little too young to worry about the Reaping yet?" This gets another nod from her. "My birthday isn't until next week," she whispers. "I'll be eleven."

"Then come on, smile a little bit." She shakes hear head. I notice the tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "You've got no siblings...are you worried about your friends?" She shakes hear head again. "I just wanted to p-pr-practice…" Annie begins to cry. "I was going to throw them back!"

"Practice what, Annie? Fishing?" She nods. "Everybody at school keeps making fun of me, my father makes poles and I can't fish…or swim…" Her voice breaks. I pat her shoulder, not quite sure what else to do. After a minute, her crying subsides a little.

"Listen, Annie, you need to practice during fishing hours so you don't get in trouble. They won't be nicer even though you're young. Okay?"

"Finnick!" I look up. My father is down the beach, waving at me. I wave back. "I'm going to do some repairs on the boat before breakfast, care to help?" he calls.

"Be there in a minute!" I turn to Annie and offer her one more shoulder pat. "Don't swim unless there's somebody else around. You're tiny, we don't want you getting swept away!" I grin down at her, and with that, I run off down the beach to join my father.


	2. Chapter 2

My father is waiting for me by the docks, holding a box of tools and a mop. "What the hell did Kione want?" he asks as I reach him. "He passed, and said something about two fish tomorrow. What's that all about?"

I'm surprised Kione had the nerve to mention extra fish to my father. He's a tall, broad man, with well-defined muscles from years of pulling fish from the ocean. While he's usually a kind-hearted man, he's not someone to mess with. I've seen him pick up and throw Kione before, for leering at my mother. Kione was being incredibly bold to mention that.

"I promised him two fish tomorrow. He was beating up little Annie Cresta."

My father swears under his breath. "Kione has no brains upstairs. That little girl is harmless. Everybody knows her father can't stand another tragedy." He spits on the sand. "That man doesn't deserve those fish. Make sure you give him something really bony."

My father's fishing boat is at the end of the docks. It's the biggest one there, but still only big enough for a crew of four or five. At least it's the best-looking boat on the docks. Even though my father owns it, it still is Capitol property. All of the fishing boats are. Most of the money we receive from our fishing goes into repairing the boat. My father spends all his time taking care of it, so the Capitol doesn't take it away from him.

We board the boat, and I'm hit with the smell of rotting fish. The deck is coated with sand and kelp. I notice one of the rails has been bent out of place. My father shoos away some gulls that have taken roost on the railing, then sets to work unpacking the toolbox.

"Where's the rest of the crew?" Usually, when the boat is under repair, everybody pitches in to help.

"I gave them the morning off. I'm just cleaning for the Capitol inspection tonight. Since they're having so many busybodies in the District anyways, they're doing inspections early this month." He straightens up and grins at me, the grin everybody says I've inherited from him. "It is such a shame that you had school yesterday. You missed all the action." He pauses for effect. "We caught a shark."

I check my father's face, unsure if he's joking or not. "Oh come on, quit it. There's no way you did."

"A real shark, not one of those Capitol mutts they have patrolling out there." He hands me a mop. "Shark fins are in high demand in the Capitol right now. I think we'll get some extra money from them."

"So we can finally fix that leak in the roof!" For the first time that morning, I felt a spark of hope. If the odds were in our favor, we could be looking at some extra food on the table, at least.

"Not so fast. I need a new sail first. Hopefully we will be able to at least get your mother a proper brace for her knee." He looks positively cheerful at this thought. He turns to the railing and begins to work on straightening it out. "Get to mopping!" he calls over his shoulder. "Your mother wouldn't like it if we were late for breakfast!"

**XxXxX**

The sun is well into the sky by the time we finish with the boat. We walk home, observing the signs of life from the village. Nobody is outside still, but windows are being thrown open to air out the houses. People have hung their dressy clothes outside, hoping the sun will remove some of the continual dampness that clings to them. From some windows, the smell of breakfast cooking drifts out. If one wasn't aware of what day it was, and the tragedy that was soon to follow, my village could be mistaken for a wealthy one.

Inside my house, breakfast has been laid on the table. My mother stands up from her chair shakily, and my father rushes over to steady her. She smiles at him, and for a minute I am caught up in how beautiful they look together. Before my mother's knee injury, she was the best swimmer in the District. People often joked that she was secretly a mermaid, with her aquatic ability and good looks.

Mother hobbles her way over to the stove, brushing off my father's attempts to help her. She returns with three bowls of hot grains. This is our standard breakfast, but today she's topped it with little berries. Next, she brings over flat rolls spread with a thin layer of cheese, and on top of that was a layer of smoked fish my mother had saved for the occasion, however somber. We sit around the table and begin to eat, but the conversation is lacking. The formal breakfast has caused the realization to set in. Today could be my last day here.

After we eat, Father cleans up the plates, and Mother pushes me upstairs to bathe and get dressed. After scrubbing myself clean of the dried salt water, I pull on long pants that used to belong to my father- they drag along in the dust- and button on a nice shirt. I'm not used to wearing shirts. I spend most of my time in the water, in the sun, fishing; shirts were unnecessary most of the time. The collar is itchy. Mother has been carried upstairs. She comes into the bedroom and combs my hair flat. She looks at me in the mirror and our eyes meet. Wordlessly, she puts her arms around me. We stay like that for a minute, before Father calls us from downstairs.

I'm pushed out the front door into the crowded streets. People have finally emerged from their houses and are heading towards the square. The movement is mechanical and forced. People stare ahead and file obediently towards their designated areas. I've heard sheep behave the same way, but I've never seen one of those in my life.

I'm swept along with everybody else. I look back to find where my parents have gone, but they're already lost in the crowd. I feel a pang of sadness. If I get selected, I'll only get to see them one more time. Suddenly I'm regretting my silence at the table.

Those of us who are of-age are checked in and herded into our appropriate areas. I stand amongst my classmates and friends, trying to smile and laugh with them, but it's forced. I can see it too, in their eyes. That fear that today could be their last day in this District.

And then the mayor is on the stage, addressing us, reading the story of how the Games came to be, like every year. I've memorized the story, and I find myself unable to focus on anything he's saying. My heart is pounding; I can hear my pulse in my ears, racing like I've been swimming with a strong current. I can't get enough air, and my palms start to sweat. This is it. Fredrick Himpleton is stepping up to the microphone now. For a moment, I am distracted by what he's wearing- everything is turquoise, except for his hair, which is a white-blonde and spiked up like a puffer fish. My body vibrates with the adrenaline that comes with the nerves as I watch him saunter over to the girls ball, plunge his hand into the mountain of names, pull one unlucky slip out, and strut back over to the mic. It looks as if he is having trouble undoing the tape on the slip, and when he finally unhinges it, he calls a name.

"Ariel Stone."

A pale sixteen-year-old with stringy red hair slowly removes herself from the crowd. I've seen her before in the halls of school. She isn't a Career, but I've seen her throw small stones and watch them wedge their way into targets from over a hundred yards. She'll go far in the Games. You can tell by the look on her face that she's holding back tears, like she knows no one will volunteer for her. It's not like she is the most popular girl in school, not someone the town would really miss. She wasn't very nice, come to think of it. But, I guess that has to do with the tragedies of living in a world like our own. Her parents were murdered by the Capitol. Taken, and tortured for months before the were executed, and the only explanation the Capitol would give was that her parents frequently disobeyed laws and that we should be glad to be rid of a pair like them. I know it was because they attempted to start riots at the Reapings, tried to get us to start an uprising towards the Capitol. My parents told me, they used to be friends with Ariels parents.

I'm brought back from the land of memory to Fredrick calling for volunteers, and nobody steps forward, just as I suspected. Ariel doesn't look too happy about this, but she also seems to know that no one would volunteer for her. Our old victor, Mags, steps out and gives her a reassuring touch, trying to comfort her, but Ariel shakes her off.

Fredrick then steps over to the glass ball with the boy's names. His hand hovers, like he's selecting a piece of candy, and then he daintily selects a paper from the surface. He returns to the microphone, and makes a big show of unfolding the paper. The suspense is killing us, and one twelve-year-old boy falls over. Everybody is momentarily distracted by this, and Fredrick uses the distraction as an opportunity to read the slip, a smile playing at his lips. He must have reached the desired effect.

"Callan Reed!"

I'm momentarily frozen, and then the name sinks in. It isn't mine. Around me, I can feel the other boys relax, relieved that they're safe. The fifteen-year-old boy steps forward, cracking his knuckles. A few of his mates clap him on the shoulder, shake his hand. He walks to the stage grinning, clearly he is excited for his moment of glory. Fredrick starts to call for volunteers, but Callan just waves his hand at him, telling him there is no need. Anyone who did volunteer for him would be foolish to do so. He's clearly a Career, broad and muscular and unafraid. He grins at the camera as it zooms in on him.

"We might have a Victor this year," the boy next to me whispers. I nod in agreement, still numb. Mags is our only living victor. The few Victors District Four had the glory of claiming have all died, except for Mags. They'd succumbed to the addiction of morphling, or even committed suicide. It's a gruesome fate. I wonder if Callan could survive it, if he wins. He looks tough enough, and I think he has a very good chance of coming home.

The Tributes turn and shake hands as Fredrick thanks the crowd, and they are all escorted from the stage into the molding Justice Building. The crowd breaks around me, children running off to the safety of their families. I hear many sighs of relief, tears of joy. There will be much celebration tonight, from the families of those who were spared for another year. I wonder how the Tributes will be acting tonight? Can they really celebrate, even as Careers, under the circumstances? Their families will not join in on our celebrations. They'll most likely pull the curtains to, and grieve, privately. Next week, their children will be fighting to the death, and there is a very real chance they won't be coming home alive.

And I get to live for one more year.

_~I don't own Hunger Games. Special thanks to beta __**musicisjustme**__, especially for jazzing up the Reaping scene. Please review!~_


	3. Chapter 3

The crowd around me is heavy as hundreds of people attempt to make their way onto the narrow streets beyond. I stand on my toes, searching for my father's head bobbing above the throng of people, but I get swept aside by people rushing to get home. I'm herded into an alleyway against my will. Somebody shoves me into the side of a building in their haste to get by. Momentarily stunned by the blow, I stagger into some trashcans, spilling fish remains over my good shoes. This won't do. I'm being shoved into the opposite direction of my house. I push myself into a doorway and wait for a break in the crowd.

It takes a few minutes for me to find the chance to leave. I push my way against the stragglers and return to the main square, sprinting and darting through the still packed space, shoving my way to the alley that leads home. By the time I break free of the crowd and get home, my parents are already there, seated at the table, drinking tea. My father leaps up and wraps me in a huge hug. My mother holds open her arms, and I go over to her. "I was so worried," she says softly. I let her hug me for a moment, before wriggling free.

"I'm fine, Mother. A little shaken, as always, but I'm still here."

She gives a little half smile. "Don't mind me. I'm just being overprotective." At those words, I feel a twinge of guilt. Of course she was worried, even I was worried. I smile, hoping to reassure her.

"It's fine. I know you were worried." I plop myself into a vacant chair. "I didn't eat much this morning…is dinner soon?"

Dinner, compared to breakfast, is incredibly loud and boisterous. For once, we eat something other than fish- Father has traded to get us some sort of bird. My mother cooked it with many herbs and spices, so it's incredibly juicy, and the meat practically falls from the bones. I savor every bite, knowing it will be a very long time before I can have anything quite as delicious again.

After dinner is finished and cleaned up, I meander into the sitting room, sucking the remaining meat from my teeth. My mother and father sit in armchairs watching the recap of the reapings. "What'd I miss?" I say, settling into the threadbare couch as Claudius Templesmith and Caesar Flickerman appear, dressed in their Capitol finery, discussing what a great-looking bunch of tributes there are this year. Of course, they say that every year, so I don't pay them any mind.

District 1 appears on the screen. Both tributes selected are replaced by volunteers, both clearly stronger and trained to be Careers: A tall, slim, blonde girl, and a short but broad-shouldered boy. Both are incredibly well-groomed and fit; clearly they've never experienced the feeling of being hungry. The girl smiles dazzlingly for the cameras and tosses her hair, and the boy cracks his knuckles.

District 2 has one volunteer, and District 3 has none. It comes you our district- we look all right in comparison- well, Callan, anyways. Ariel, up close, looks ready to fall over. Casear and Claudius notice this, and she's immediately written off as a weakling. Nobody knows her story, which, I suppose is a good thing- we wouldn't want signs of an uprising reaching the Capitol. Then again, I don't think they'd share it with the rest of Panem.

After our district, the reapings become uninteresting. As the numbers grow higher, the tributes grow thinner and duller-looking. Finally, two skeletal tributes, shaking and covered in coal dust, are selected from District 12. It's clear they'll hardly make it past the initial bloodbath.

The television flicks off, and we stand up from the couch and stretch. Mother goes to find the cat and let it out. After a moment, she returns. "Finnick? Someone's left something for you." She hands me a small, tightly woven basket with a lid. A shaky hand has scrawled my name on a scrap of parchment.

I lift the lid off. Inside is a spool of fishing wire, and a small carved wooden mug. I frown at the package, and look at my mother. "Did you see who left it?

She shakes her head at me. "Nobody was around. I made sure to check…there really aren't that many places for people to hide around here."

Huh. Weird. I examine the mug closer. It's…ordinary. I put it in the kitchen before heading to bed.

**XxXxX**

I'm up early the next morning to go fishing with my father. We stay closer to shore, away from the other boats. It's nice and calming; we don't talk, and the rest of the world is still asleep. With the calm water, fishing is almost as peaceful as my underwater sanctuary.

When we return to shore, Kione is waiting for me at the end of the docks. I can hardly look at him. I chuck the fish in his direction, not bothering with manners. I hear a yell as the fish slap his face. Good.

School that day is absolutely buzzing with gossip. Surprisingly, nobody really cared about Callan, despite the fact that he could win the Games for us. Instead, the main focus was on Ariel.

"I heard she told Sheldon that she wasn't going to fight at all, just stand there at the bloodbath."

"I heard she planned on winning, and then killing the Head Gamemakers."

"I heard she was going to try to escape before the Games and wreck havoc on the Capitol"

"So what did you hear?" My friend Kai Tyne slides into his typical seat next to me in our Panem Geography class, and looks at me expectantly. "I hear Ariel took out extra rations to guarantee her name got selected."

"You'd have to take out an awful lot of rations, though, wouldn't you?" Behind Kai, Meri Edlen is seated. "I've heard something completely different from all of you."

"I've heard…I've heard…that's all anybody has said to me today." Nonetheless, I scoot my chair slightly closer to Meri. She grins; glad she's captured my attention.

"I've heard that the Capitol made sure that Ariel's name was selected in the reaping. You know," She drops her voice lower. "Because of her parents."

I'm so stunned by this that it takes me a minute to react. "Watch what you're saying," I hiss at them both. "Are you trying to get us killed?"

"Please," scoffs Meri. "There aren't any Peacekeepers around." Still, she looks over her shoulder nervously.

"It's just rumors, anyways," she says, picking up her scuffed notebook and flipping to an empty page. "I didn't say this. So I can't get in trouble…right?"

"Don't risk it," says Kai. "I don't want anything to happen to one of my only friends.

"Your only friend," shoots back Meri.

"What am I, then?" I ask, feigning hurt.

"You're Finnick," laughs Kai. "We don't know what you are!"

Our teacher calls us to attention, and we straighten ourselves up and face forward. "It has come to our attention that rumors have been flying around the school about the tributes for our district." I turn and give Meri an 'I told you so' look

"I have been instructed to inform you that any more gossip on this matter will not be tolerated. Henceforth, anyone caught discussing the tributes in this manner will be turned over to the Peacekeepers and punished. Severely." A murmur ripples through the classroom. "Do I make myself clear?" Our teacher says, intently trying to stare each and every one of us in the eye. Never before had that been done. Several people raised their hands to ask about it and she just waved them off.

A hushed whisper of 'yes's' and 'yes ma'am's' wave through the room.

"Good. Now open your books to page 394."

**XxXxX**

The rest of our classes glide by quietly for the remainder of the day. After school lets out, Kai, Meri and I head down to the beach for a swim.

When we arrive, the shore isnt very crowded. The fishers had all gathered at one end, so we headed for the other. We find a quiet area, and just as we're about to settle down, I spot a familiar figure walking by the cliffs, hunched over.

"Annie!" I call. She doesn't look up, but keeps walking, dragging her feet in the sand. I hold my finger up to my friends and run after her. "Annie!" I catch up and grab her shoulder. She cringes away, batting my hand. "Annie, it's me." She finally turns to face me. There's a massive bruise on her forehead, a sick yellowish-purple color. I reach out to touch it, but stop myself at the last second. "Is that from Kione?"

She nods at me, eying my hand warily. I drop it to my side, and she relaxes a little. "Are you okay?" I ask her. "I just wanted to check on you. I gave Kione his fish this morning. Bastard doesn't deserve them." A hint of a smile appears on her lips, but she continues to look at her feet. Behind me, I can hear my friends calling for me to join them. "I was just about to go swimming with my friends, do you want to join us? They're really nice." Annie shakes her head frantically.  
"I cant, my mother…" She whispers, trailing off quickly, and I mentally kick myself for bringing it up. Poor girl must be terrified of water.

"Well…if you need anything, you let me know, okay?" I say, scrambling for words. "I feel terrible about what Kione did to you. If you want, I can give you some fish next week." She doesn't respond to this. "Anything at all," I finish lamely. "See you around." I call to her as she turns and practically sprints away. _Strange little girl._

"Finnick, will you hurry up?" I turn and catch up to my friends. "Who was that?" asks Kai. "Was that Annie Cresta?"

"Yeah. I helped her avoid Kione yesterday, wanted to check up on her."

"Only Kione would try and hit a little kid." Kai flops over in the sand, letting the waves wash over him. Meri flops down beside him. "She seemed pretty shy around you," she says with an impish grin. "I think she liiiikes you."

I roll my eyes. My friends are so immature. "She's ten, Mer."

"I don't know, Finnick." Kai sits up and leans on his elbow. "She was tongue-tied around you! Isn't that a sign a girl likes you?"

"It sure is," chimes in Meri. "She's smitten."

"Annie Cresta is shy around everyone and you know it." I wade into the water, searching with my toes for shellfish. Kai is saying something to me, but I can't hear him over the sound of surf sloshing around my legs. He repeats whatever it is, waving his arms at me. I wade back. "What are you going on about now?"

"I SAID, speaking of smitten, here comes Cora!" My gaze followed to what he was pointing to. Down the beach was Cora Torlan, with her usual group of girl friends- I'd recognize her white-blond hair anywhere. I felt my heart flutter. Cora was by far the prettiest girl in school. I had always wanted the chance to talk to her, but I never found the courage.

Meri was well aware of this, so why she was suddenly on her feet waving at Cora was beyond me. "Hey, Cora!" Cora looks over and gives a small wave. "Come over here!"

I glare at Meri, and she smiles sweetly as Kai congratulates her. Cora is walking over, frowning slightly. "Hello, Meri, Kai." She hardly glances my way. "Finnick." I can feel my stomach drop. I turn and slosh back out into the water, as Meri strikes up a conversation with Cora. I take a few steps before throwing myself forward into the waves. Underwater, Cora can't see how disappointed I am. I scour the shallow water for the shellfish I had felt earlier. I resurface minutes later with a handful, to find everybody staring at me intently.

"What?" I ask, dropping the shellfish into Kai's outstretched hand. He starts to divide them up.

"You were under there for a while," says Cora, a bit breathlessly.

I give her my best 'well, duh!' look. "I was. I can hold my breath for a good while." Kai flashes me a grin and a wink as he cracks open his shellfish. I fight the urge to throw sand at him. It really isn't that big of a deal.

Apparently it was, to Cora. "That's longer than Callan could hold his for!" We all flinch, and she quickly corrects herself. "Can. He still can hold his breath." She grins at me, a grin that makes me want to melt into the sand. "But not nearly as long as you can!" I fight back the urge to blush. I start doodling in the damp sand with my foot.

"He's the best swimmer in the District!" pipes up Meri. Cora gives her a look that clearly says back off! Kai takes over.

"Fin here started swimming long before any of us, I think. He helps out on his father's boat quite a bit, too. and he's pretty strong." I'm positive that I'm blushing right now.

From down the beach, Cora's friends are calling to her. "I need to go," she says quickly. "It was nice talking to you." She turns to me. "I'll see you Monday in school?" she asks. All I can do is nod. I'm at a complete and total loss for words. Cora gives my arm a squeeze. "Oooh, I can feel your muscles." Okay, NOW I'm at a loss for words. She squeezes my arm again, and runs off down the beach.

Kai and Meri are looking at me like I've just won a free pass to the Capitol, no death penalty. "What?"

"I think she has a crush on you, Fin!" Kai reaches up to slap my back.

I settle onto the sand beside him and reach for a Mussel. "She didn't like me, she liked my swimming ability. Is that what girls go by now? Swimming? Aren't girls supposed to like you for your personality?"

"Fin, we're thirteen. We've known each other for all our lives. We don't really have much else to go off of." Kai sighs, and starts to dig in the sand with an empty shell. "When did we become so grown-up, anyways? Caring about why girls like us?"

"Every year, two of our friends are taken to the Capitol and forced to kill others. I think we need to be grown-up, just a little," says Meri wisely.

Neither of us can argue with that.

_~I don't own Hunger Games. Special thanks to beta __**musicisjustme**__. Reviews are appreciated!~_


	4. Chapter 4

I arrive home just in time for dinner, the smell of my mother's chowder filling the air of our hut. My serving is presented to me in the woven basket I had received the night before. "It's absolutely watertight," explains my mother as I examine the bottom of it for leaks. "I checked. It's brilliant craftsmanship! You got another, by the way," she adds as she sets the carved mug down beside my meal. She gestures to the counter. A smaller basket, about the size of my fist. She brings it over to me, and sets it next to me, expectantly waiting for me to open it. I take the basket and undo the clasp to find it crammed full of bone and metal fishing hooks. I pull one out. It pricks my finger, leaving a teeny hole. These are good quality, but from the looks of them, handmade.

Father peers over from his seat on the other side of the table, takes a hook, examining it and attempts to break it between his fingers. "Pretty strong. These will be excellent next time we go out."

"You can take a few, if you want. There are a lot in here." I say, offering him the basket. Indeed, as he pulls more of the hooks from the basket, they all come out in a huge tangle. Hooks for a year, at least. Father crams them back in the basket, saving a few by his plate to take out on the boat with him tomorrow. I hook the clasp again, wondering who could possibly be leaving them for me. Not that I didn't appreciate the gifts, but…no card, no sign of anyone around.

The gossip of the evening was the upcoming parade of tributes. We weren't really fond of the Games themselves, but watching the costumes by Capitol designers was always entertaining. Sometimes they were hilarious, over the top and extravagant. And others just downright ugly.

Tonight was not a disappointment. The parade was started with District One per usual. The two beautiful tributes I had noticed the night before were decked out like two mythological characters; kings and queens, I think they were called. The boy was wearing long robes made of fur, and a wreath of gold on his head. The girl was wearing a long, flowing dress absolutely coated with glistening, multicolored gemstones. The gems cast little circles of light over the chariot , horses, and any walls they get close enough to. In the girls hair is a circlet made of metal, twisted into spiral shapes and encrusted with more gems. Both of the tributes have gold makeup on, that makes them absolutely glow. They are stunning.

District Two comes out next in heavy metal plates, stained with fake blood. They carry tall, curved metal weapons. "They must have had a hard time getting those past the rules," says my mother, sounding shocked. "Are you actually allowed to have weapons before the games?"

I squint at the television screen. "They look rounded. They must be safe. Besides, they can't kill or hurt anyone before the Games. I'm sure the tributes aren't stupid enough to try anything either. They're Careers!"

District Three's outfits were plain. Dressed in an all black unitard, with some electronic square glowing in the center of their chests. The square sent out thin lines of light that wove down their arms and legs, and even in their hair. Not the most interesting costumes they've ever had.

Our district is up next. As soon as the chariot appears, I yell out "HORRIBLE!" Ariel and Callan are dressed from head to toe in greenish grey scales. They have rubber caps on their head that hide their hair, with spikes that vaguely resemble protruding fins, and more trailing down their backs. On their hands are gloves of the same greenish tint, that give their fingers a webbed appearance. Their faces have small sparkly scales on them, finishing off the overall sea creature look. The costumes would be nice looking if they weren't actually the color of fish.

District Five's costumes are pretty neat. They're full of wires that send out lightning-like electrical webs and shoot out teeny sparks. The two tributes hair have been spiked and highlighted with yellow, and a few of the wires run through and dance with blue currents, giving them the overall appearance of being shocked. The lightning casts flashes of light across everything it passes, bright and attention-grabbing.

District Six appears, dressed in blue and white striped overalls with a red hankerchief hanging from their front pockets. They have matching striped caps on their heads. "What are they supposed to be? " I ask.

"Old fashioned train drivers," explains my mother. "They're called "conductmen", I think. Something like that. It's such a silly idea, really. Not many people would understand it. It's from back before trains could hover. They used to run off of coal and steam. That's what the stories say, anyways. Those "conductmen" used to drive them."

District Seven are dressed as trees, like every year for as long as I can remember. We roll our eyes, and wait for the next district. Eight's costumes are unusual. Their designer seemed to be at a loss at how to best represent textiles, so their costumes were bits of fabric sewn together and knotted through their hair. Patchwork people. Claudius and Caesar were at a loss for words, not even sure how they could make these sound better. They didn't look glamorous in the slightest. This would probably be the last time we heard from these two designers.

The tributes from Nine came out in a flash of pink light. It took a moment to process what they were-pigs. Livestock, right. The girl had a pink frock on, and the boy had a pink suit. Both of their outfits were encrusted with pink gems. They had tiny headpieces with pig ears on them, little pink pig snouts on their faces, and cute little curly tails on the back of their costumes. Much better than last year, where they had been dressed almost identical to the horses pulling the chariots.

At first glance, Ten's costumes look like woven mats. Upon closer examination, we see they're woven from grain stalks. Very cleverly done, too. The girl's dress is just as extravagant as any other Capitol gown I've seen. The boy is in a tuxedo, complete with woven bowtie. Claudius is joking about how the woven style will soon be a new fashion trend. My father chuckles, but I don't laugh. I'm sure those words have set off a flurry of orders for outfits like those, to wear in "support of the Games".

Eleven's theme this year is pretty corny- they carry baskets of flowers and have fruit on their hats. The Capitol touch is that the flowers and fruits seem to be carved from gems. I wonder how long it took them to carve- the detail is fantastic, especially the flowers. Each petal stands out individually, making it seem like a real flower had suddenly frozen and crystallized.

District twelve is up last, and my mother immediately covers my eyes. I twist away. "Mom! I'm thirteen. It's nothing new!" The costumes have been completely forgone. The tributes from twelve are wearing nothing more than a plastic miners hat with a headlamp. The rest of their bodies are completely obscured in a fine dark substance. Must be the glamorous version of coal dust, I think. It's a memorable idea, but not fun to look at. The tributes are clearly not happy with it. They look incredibly embarrassed, slouched over in their chariots, fighting the urge to cover themselves up. They're still incredibly malnourished, and looking at their ribs sticking out is sickening. I feel a pang of sympathy- we've always the sea to provide us with extra food; but out there, they live and breathe coal. Twelve never lasts long in the games- the tributes can't run for long without stopping for breaks, so they're easy to catch. I've heard the announcers say it's because their lungs are coated with the dust from the coal mines.

The chariots circle around and gather at the base of City Circle. President Snow steps up and begins his speech, welcoming the Tributes to the Capitol, and thanking them for their generous sacrifice. He reminds them that foul play before the games is absolutely not allowed, and ends with the traditional "May the odds be ever in your favor!" It seems kind of pointless now…only one of them will come out alive. Snow seems practically gleeful as he shouts the old phrase into the dozens of microphones. It's sick, and I can see a flicker of fear and disgust cross some of the tributes faces. The Careers however grin and preen for the cameras even more. I'd bet a week's worth of fish they already have alliances formed.

The television flicks of, and my parents and I sit there in the dark and silence. My father finally breaks it.

"Those tributes from District Eleven must have serious neck muscles. Did you see the size of those rocks on their heads?" We all break down laughing at this.

"They did look incredibly heavy," agrees my mother.

"Maybe they've had practice. Maybe they actually balance baskets on their heads with fruit? For extra carrying space." My father stands up and snags the basket from earlier, scoops up one of the kittens running 'round, and places it on my head. "There you go. Walk for us!"

I wobble around the living room, trying to keep the basket on my head, the kitten within mewing pitifully at the new height. I do a few circles, before setting the kitten free. It darts under the couch. My father laughs. "That wasn't so bad," I tell him, looking smug. "I'd be a great member of Eleven. I could carry baskets on my head all day."

My father laughs, a bit evilly. "I'm going to hold you to that. You'll put on a show next time you go out on the boat with me. Show the other men your skills. You can start carrying all the fish of the boat for us."

"You're going to have a neck like a mast, soon enough," adds my mother.

We all start laughing again, then mother sends me up to bed. I'm exhausted from getting up so early that day, so I fall asleep almost instantly. I dream of being stood in front of all of Panem, lacking clothes, and coated in glittering sand. The crowd starts to laugh and toss fish at me, as President Snow stands behind me, laughing and telling me the odds were not in my favor that day.

_~I don't own Hunger Games. Special thanks to beta __**musicisjustme**__. Reviews are appreciated!~_


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, Finnick! Check it." A notebook slides across the beat-up, wooden table and knocks into my lunch. The woven basket holding my stone-cold leftover chowder, wobbles dangerously, sloshing its milky contents onto my lap. I glare over at Meri, who smiles sweetly and flips her hair in imitation of Cora. "I drew you some piiiiiictures!" she trills. Kai, seated across from me, cracks up.

I fight to keep a straight face. "I guess that makes it all right," I say, in my best Capitol accent. That sends the two of them into peals of laughter, causing nearby students to turn their heads and look over at us. Lunch is usually a somber affair, so Kai and Meri laughing so hard is highly unusual.

I let them laugh, and flip through the tattered notebook Meri pushed my way. Her notes from class are always crammed with doodles. Today she's used up an entire page. She's drawn Ariel and Callan in their chariot. They look pretty good, but not as good as the costumes she's drawn on them. Their costumes look like they're made of coral. Ariel's hair has been drawn woven up, with a fan-shaped coral crowning the top. "Mer," I breathe, "This is beautiful! I would love to see this in colored in!"

Meri blushes. "I don't have any way to color it. Besides, I don't think I could possibly copy the color of real coral."

"What's left of the coral, anyways," inserts Kai. "It's becoming quite the fashion item, from what I've heard from my father. The diving teams have harvested quite a lot of it."

"This conversation is a bit too serious." Meri flips over the page in the notebook. "While I wanted to impress you with my costume drawings, this is what I worked on during Math today." I look down at the page, to find myself staring back. Meri has illustrated me in what appears to be a seaweed-woven tux. Beside me, in a wedding dress of bubbles, is Cora. I slam the notebook shut, quickly.

"It's not like that," I hiss at Meri. I'm positive I'm bright red right now. Meri is laughing so hard, no sound is coming from her mouth. She lays her head on the table, her body shaking. Kai is biting his lip. I'm sure if he let himself go, he'd be joining Meri.

"Really. It's NOT like that at all." They keep laughing. "Really, guys. Stop laughing."

"What's so funny?" I spin around so fast, I hear my neck crack. Cora is standing behind me, looking curious.

"Nothing," I say quickly, while Kai yells out "Meri's drawing!"

"Can I see it?" asks Cora. She slides onto the bench beside me. I stare at my hands, absolutely unsure of what to do. Kai reaches for the notebook, and I snatch it back quickly.

"Come on," pleads Cora. "Can't I see?" I can't refuse her. Very discretely, I flip through the notebook and tear out the wedding picture. The notebook is returned to the table, the chariot picture on display. Cora studies it.

"It's a shame about Ariel," she says sadly. "She sat with us sometimes, remember?"

"Only because no one else would take her," mutters Kai. Meri elbows him.

"She was a bit hostile at times, but she did help me with my math homework once or twice. So I'm trying to remember her for that, rather than everything else."

"Maybe if you paid attention in math instead of drawing pictures," I spit out those last two words, "you wouldn't need to ask the older students for help."

"Come on, Finnick, be nice." Cora is giving me an amused look. Is she teasing me? Have we reached that stage in this friendship? "She wasn't my favorite person, but you have the right idea, Meri. I'm trying to remember her for the time she walked home in the dark with me after the class trip. She was outside her house and saw me walking alone, and she came and joined me." Cora looks a little misty-eyed. "I always wish I had been nicer to her."

Kai covers his mouth so Cora can't see it. "Comfort her," he mouths at me. I reach over and gently pat Cora's shoulder.

"I'm sure it'll be okay. I don't think she minded walking you home." I say, trying my best at comforting a girl.

Cora nods, and smiles at me, a smile that melts my insides. "I guess you're right. Thanks, Finnick." She said, sighing contentedly.

And awkward silence overtakes our table as we try to establish some form of conversation with our new table-mate.

"Uhm...Is there something you needed?" asks Meri. "You usually don't come over to this side of the cafeteria, and-"

"Oh! That's right!" Cora swivels too fast, then rights herself, facing me. "I have this History assignment, and its giving me a lot of trouble. I know you're fairly good at history, and I was wondering if maybe, you'd help me out?" she says, looking at me questioningly. The whole table has locked eyes on the pair of us, wondering helplessly where our conversation may be going. "As a friend of course..." she tacks on, apparently feeling the shooting stares from every one of my friends.

I'm average at history, so this takes me by surprise. "All right, I guess. When?"

"After school? Just for a few minutes."

"Okay. I'll meet you by the flagpole, then."

"Thanks so much, Finnick, really." She squeezes my arm giving me a deep look, before she gets up and scurries back to her usual table. I stare after her for a moment, dazed.

Kai and Meri don't need to say a word about what just happened. The totally unmerciful grins splayed about their faces tell it all.

**XxXxX**

I hardly pay attention to anything said for the rest of the day. As we're dismissed from our final class, my heart is rattling in my chest. I try to breathe. It's just a history assignment, that's all. Kai and Meri don't help much. In the classes we have together, I'm bombarded with notes and winks (the latter mostly from Kai). As I start to leave, they escort me out.

"We're going to try and stay within hearing range," says Meri.

"Oh, no you won't!" I turn and push them in the direction of the village. "I don't want you two making me nervous. I'll pass a message to you two on my way home."

"Come on, you busybody, he's right." Kai takes Meri's bag from her. "He wouldn't have managed to talk to her if we hadn't supplied the conversation. He really is nervous. Us eavesdropping won't help."

"I don't know," muses Meri. "Maybe we should supply the conversation for him again."

I swat at her head. "Go. Now." I look over at the flagpole. Cora is standing there. She waves when she sees me, smiling brightly. I wave back, mouth "Get lost" and Kai and Meri, and start to head over.

"Good luck, lover boy!" Kai calls after me. I can tell by the look on Cora's face that she heard him. I'm going to kill him. Later. I dash over to the flagpole before my friends can humiliate me further.

"I am SO SORRY about that!" I gasp as I halt my running in front of Cora. I notice her insesant giggling as I attempt to catch my breath.

"It's not a problem. My friends have been like that all day, too."

"They have?" I wonder why.

Cora nods, and flips open her history notebook. "So, about that assignment."

"It's pretty basic, actually. " Too easy. I can't understand why she needs help. "We're writing a paper about what we consider to be the shaping moment of Panem history."

"Shaping moment?" Oh gosh. Is there anything under that lovely hair of hers?

"What do you consider to be our most important moment in history?"

"Oh. Right. Thanks."

"Is that all?"

She looks down at her feet. "Actually, Finnick... I wanted to talk to you. But not about history." My heart skips a beat. "I was just wondering if... I was wondering if maybe you'd like to do something together sometime? Like, outside of school?"

"What do you mean?" This isn't happening. This is not happening. No way. It can't be. I must be dreaming.

"I don't know... Like, do you want to go hangout at the beach or maybe go to the teashop in town? Sometime this weekend?" She pauses. "Just us?"

This is happening. This is actually happening. It takes a moment to find my voice. "Um. Sure. Yea, that'd be great." I say, showing a half smile, running my fingers through my hair nervously.

Cora throws her arms around me. "Great! Friday? We can meet up after school, and decide what to do then!" I hardly hear her. She has her arms around me. That's all my brain can process. To my dismay, it doesn't last long. "Well, I need to get home. See you tomorrow?"

"Yea, see you tomorrow!" I call after her as she turns and jogs home.

I find myself walking towards the village. It takes a lot of effort to get my feeet to move. Cora just asked me out._ Cora just asked me out._ I make it towards the edge of the village, and pass Kai's house. He's leaning out the window. He doesn't say a word, just looks at my dumbstruck face, then mouths "I told you so!"

**XxXxX**

I don't really remember the walk to my quiet area. My head is absolutely buzzing, full of a scattering of images. Cora touching my arm. Cora's dazzling grin, being aimed at me. I feel the grin building up in the corners of my mouth, the bubble of warmth filling my chest and the back of my throat. Cora liked me. Cora wanted to spend time with me, JUST me, outside of school.

Cora wanted to be my girlfriend.

I…I can't even think straight.

I crash down on my rocks, my bottom hitting something that shouldn't be there. I spring up. A basket, a little smashed up now, topples into the water. I was too dazed to notice it when I sat.

But wait!

I spin, almost slipping into the water myself, looking around. Someone was there, had been there, and knew where to find me. I scan the surrounding area. The person might be nearby still! There! By the rocks, not even facing me! I can't make out who it is, but it doesn't stop me from creeping closer. They don't notice me. I think they're trying to hide? I can't tell, but I know this: I'm not about to let whomever it is get away. As silently as I can, I creep up behind them, and wait a moment before tackling them behind.

I hear a shrill scream, and quickly I go to cover their mouth. They're putting up quite a fight, thrashing and kicking at me. "Who are you!" I yell at them. They continue to fight. They're not strong enough to break free, so they make up for that by sinking their teeth in my arm. Hard.

"You bit me!" I yell, falling off my stalker. I examine the ring of teeth marks on my arm. They're turning pink, and one of them has left a small hole that's trickling blood. "Damn," I swear under my breath, rubbing sand on the wound, trying to staunch the flow of red. It takes me a minute to realize that the person I attacked hasn't moved from the sand. I feel a brief flash of panic. Are they okay? Did I break their neck? I reach for the body to flip them over. As I do this, my brain finally connects who it is.

Annie Cresta.

I turn her over, my heart beating rapidly. Is she okay? Her father would kill me in my sleep if anything was wrong with her. Her eyes are closed. Oh no. Oh no, no no! Frantically, I shake her. "Annie? Annie! Wake up, please wake up!" She just flops around. I can feel bile rising in my throat. I cough it up, and watch the waves wash it away. Salty tears start to sing my eyes. I've killed a little girl, a tiny, frail girl, I'm worse than the tributes…

I hear a giggling from behind me. What? I jerk my head around so fast, my neck hurts. Annie is laying there in the sand, perfectly all right, laughing hysterically. "You should have seen the look on your face," she chokes out. Anger flashes through me, and I pin her down in the sand, glaring daggers at her. She stops laughing when she sees the look on my face.

"That. Was NOT. Funny," I spit out. "I thought you had DIED!" Annie cracks up again. After a minute, I join in.

"I got you good," laughs Annie. "Admit it. That's what you get for tackling me."

"You bit me, too!"

"You tackled me! I had to get you off me, somehow!" She glares right back at me. I shrink away. Never before had I seen Annie look like that. She was scary, for such a tiny girl. It takes me a moment to remember it should be the other way around, so I match the look she's giving me. She shrinks back, just a tiny bit, but holds her ground.

"Why were you following me?" I ask her, doing my best to sound angry over it. It doesn't seem to bother her in the slightest. She sits up and brushes sand out of her hair.

"I was leaving you a basket." The basket! I turn and check the rocks. The basket had slid off, and was bobbing along in the shallows. I reach out and snag it, and pry off the top. Inside is a woven necklace, like the ones the divers wear. A small wooden fish hangs off it. I look over to Annie, who has hidden her face.

"What are all these baskets for?" I ask curiously.

"They're just things. I know you fish with your dad." Her voice gets even quieter. "And you saved me from Kione."

"Annie." I brush some sand off her shoulder. I want to give her a hug, because she looks so small and afraid, but I don't. "You don't have to pay me back for that. I would never let Kione hurt you. I'd be a horrible person if I did."

"I know, but you gave him fish. And you could have been paid for those fish.

I snort. "Ann, the Capitol only pays us extra if we catch GOOD fish. Like a shark. The other day, my father caught one."

Her eyes grow wide. "A real live shark?"

I nod. "A real one. Not a Mutt. Real sharks avoid Mutt sharks- they seem to know they aren't normal. So it's hard to find a normal one. We got extra money for it, so dad ordered a new sail from the Capitol. And mother is getting fitted for a brace for her knee, so she'll be able to walk a lot better now."

Annie's mouth has fallen open. "Wow," she breathes. "I wish I had seen that."

I laugh a little at her child-like wonder. "I'm not sure that you would have. I saw the damage on the boat. It looks like it put up a fight."

"I don't blame it." Annie throws herself into the sand, dramatically, then scoots back, away from the water. "If I were a shark, I would definitely put up a fight. The last thing I would want is to end on tables in the Capitol."

"I'm HUMAN, and I don't want to end up on tables in the Capitol." I sit beside her in the sand, a barrier between her and the ocean. I can see her visibly relax, her fragile body melting in the sand. I'm sure that if she got any closer to the water, she would float away.

"We somehow do, anyways." I look over at her. She looks too serious for someone so little. She looks over at me, and I am intrigued by what I see. Her eyes are that of someone a lot older than she actually is. I'm at a complete loss for words, and she senses it. "Not really," she corrects herself. "I just mean. They force us to do things we don't want, anyways."

"Nice metaphor."

"What's a metaphor?" she asks.

I pat her arm, but she yanks it back. "You'll learn in English. I don't know why we teach it…we're not really poetry writers out here."

"I could write poetry, I bet. That could get me to the Capitol."

"What would you write about? Writing about how miserable the Districts are won't get you there, unfortunately. Many have tried."

Annie contemplates this. "Fish? The Capitol people like to eat, don't they? Since they're always demanding more fish. I could make my way by writing about fish and food."

She's such a ten year old. "First, learn about fish. And it's many uses." I look up and check the sky. The sun is getting low. "I need to go home. " I stand up and dust myself off, then offer Annie my hand. She's light.

"Thanks again for the baskets... but don't worry about it, anymore. We are totally even." I turn and start to head for home.

"Finnick!" I turn back. Annie, the old, shy Annie is back. She's looking at me, scared and hesitant."

"Do you think…" She trails off, and I can't catch the rest of her sentence. I run back over to her. She's shrinking away from me.

"Come on, Annie. You can ask me."

"Doyouthinkyoucanteachmetoswim?" she blurts out, the words blending together.

"Teach you…"

"To swim. Please." She's bouncing on the balls of her feet, nervously. "I need to learn." Her voice drops again, almost inaudible. "I'm so scared of the water." A small smile breaks her face. "I don't even like being this close to it. I live in the fishing district. I need to…not be afraid." She looks at me, her greenish eyes wide and watery.

"Of course I will," I say softly. "If you're really scared, we can do it early in the mornings, when only the boats are out." She nods, eagerly.

"We can start tomorrow, okay? I'll meet you right here." Annie nods so much her head is a blur.

"Okay, okay! Calm down! If I didn't know better, I'd say you were excited for this!"

Annie blushes. "I do want to learn. I do. It's just…difficult. After what happened."

"I don't blame you. We need to crack this fear while you're still young, don't we." I spin Annie around towards the village. "Now, Miss Cresta. If you don't sleep, you won't be awake enough to see those fish you want to write about!" She giggles, apparently over her previous shyness. She's just like a normal ten-year-old girl. Well, as normal as a ten-year-old in Panem can be, anyways. I give her a gentle push, and watch her run home, slipping and falling in the sand. I have to smile. Annie lets out a little shriek as she falls too close to the water.

I'm going to have my work cut out for me.

_~Long chapter this time! I'm trying to get things moving, so I REALLY hope you haven't gotten too bored! I don't own Hunger Games, blah blah blah. Special thanks to my supermegafoxyawesomehawt beta musicisjustme (she beta'd that to make me say that!). Reviews are VERY appreciated! Please? Pretty, pretty please? With a Finnick on top? I APPRICIATE ANY REVIEWS YOU GIVE ME, AND IT BOOSTS MY MENTALITY TOWARD WRITING MORE!~_


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, I find myself unable to get away from the comfort of my bed. I lay there, pulling the covers around me tighter, willing myself to fall back into the dream. I was right on the edge, I could feel it.

I lay there for a few more minutes, hoping to fall back into the sweet unconsciousness, but I cant. Laden with fresh disappointment, I run through what I can remember of the dream in my head. Cora had been there, watching me as I swam in the sound. I dove through the waves like I'd seen so many dolphins do from the deck of my father's boat. She laughed and applauded, her shimmering hair flying about in the soft breeze as she stood on the shore line. I felt the familiar nervous flutters in my chest as I thought about her smiling at me, and telling me I was a thousand times better than Callan had ever been.

Very unwillingly, I flipped my feet over the edge of my bed, resting my feet on the floor, only to wince at the cold bite of the wooden boards. I hastily grabbed my blanket and threw it to the floor, using it as a barrier between the bottoms of my feet and the frigid surface. The scratchy fabric had worn thin from the many years of use, so it doesn't do me much good. I dash to the bathroom as fast as I can, keeping my footfalls light to avoid as much cold as possible, jamming my feet into a pair of ratty old shoes when I reach the bathroom. _Much better _I think. I can hear my father getting ready down the hall. He's got to go out on the boat today. I roughly run a comb through my hair and find my swimming shorts, vacating the bathroom before anyone else has the chance to rush me out.

"Off to swim?" My father asks as he brushes past me on his way down the hall.

"Off to fish?" I say sarcastically.

We both give hearty laughs, and turn, going on about our business. After I've dressed, I head downstairs, snag some bread from the kitchen, and head out for Annie's first swim lesson.

I am relieved to find that the outdoor temperature is much warmer than inside, and I silently wish the water isn't too cold for Annie as I slip between the silent houses toward the beach.

I see Annie perched near the rocks when I arrive, shooting weary looks at the rippling surface of the water. As I drew closer, I noticed at least ten feet of fishing wire wrapped around her hand so tightly that her fingers had turned white. I guess she had taken my lie to Kione seriously. So caught up in her thoughts, she didn't hear my approach. I debated sneaking up on her, but I figured that probably wouldn't end very well. I started kicking everything in my path, trying to make as much noise as possible. Finally she looked up.

"I thought you weren't coming!" she yelled, jumping to her feet and launching herself at me. I patted her awkwardly on the head as she wrapped her arms around me. I looked down at her awkwardly, running my fingers through my hair. "Oh! Uhh. Sorry…" She said sheepishly, pulling away from me. She lowered herself onto the cool sand and wrapped her arms around her les.

"Of course I'm here! You," I said, pointing my finger at her. "Need to learn how to swim! This district is all about water!" I look down at her hand, which is now turning an off-shade of purple. "Also, you'd better get rid of that fishing wire before you lose all your fingers."

Annie lets out a small shriek when she sees the state of her hand. Quick as she can, she unwinds the wire, the coils of see-through fiber piling up at her feet. "I can't feel my fingers," she whispers when it's all off.

"Sit there for a few minutes and wiggle your fingers, your circulation will come back soon. In the mean time, we need to talk about how we're going to do this." Annie nods and I plop down next to her.

To be honest, I hadn't thought at all about how to teach Annie to swim. I had been so distracted by Cora, I had almost forgotten about the lesson. Let's see. Well, I can't even teach her how to swim properly until she stops being so afraid of the water. _That's a good idea, temporarily. At least it's a place to start…_

"Okay, Miss Annie, we have a lot of work ahead of us. Teaching you to swim is not going to be easy." At this, her face falls. I feel a little terrible for this. "Well, let's face it, Annie. You're terrified of water. I get the feeling this might take a while."

"I guess," Annie whispers.

"The first step will be to get you to not be so scared of the water." I look down at the pile of wire. "The fishing line will be most useful for that part. You can't use it when you actually start swimming-" At this, Annie lets out a horrified gasp. "Don't worry," I try to soothe her. "By that point, you will be able to swim without it. Plus, I'll be there to help you if you need it."

Annie has drawn her knees up to her chest and is rocking slightly. Not a good sign. "Annie, you have nothing to be scared of." To prove a point, I stand up and wade out into the water. It takes a moment to adjust to the temperature. I take a deep breath, and dive in.

The trick is to convince her that I know exactly what I am doing. I paddle to the bottom of the salty water and sit there until I'm positive that she's concerned. Kicking off the sandy bottom, I shoot to the surface, breaking the water as I go. Annie yelps in surprise. I can tell she's relieved to see me. I twist around in the water, and begin to swim on my back, spitting a fountain of water from my mouth. I can hear her laughing from the beach. I paddle back for a bit, and let the waves wash me to shore. Annie comes running over, stopping about three feet from my head.

"I thought you drowned!"

"Nope. I won't drown. I've practiced quite a bit." Annie looks concerned still, so I walk her over to the rocks and sit her back down. She's nervous, watching each wave lap over the edge of the rock. She draws herself closer together; trying to stay in a tiny ball so the water can't touch her.

"Finnick? Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Annie."

She nods. "Why do you like swimming so much?"

"It's…peaceful. It's very…freeing." I lower my feet into the water. Almost immediately, a teeny fish takes a taste of my little toe. I kick it off, spraying Annie with water. She flinches.

"It's not freeing to me."

"I know, Annie, but that's because you don't do it! I've been swimming since I was really small, and it's my favorite thing to do. When you're out there, under the water, you've got this incredible freedom. There's nobody under there. No parents, no teachers…" I lower my voice. "No Capitol. No Games. It's the best feeling in the world. There are some days I dream of swimming and never stopping. Maybe find a rock out there to live on."

"You'd get eaten by Capitol sharks!"

"I can swim faster."

"Can not!"

"How would you know? You've never seen one!" We both crack up. I can see Annie is relaxing a little bit now.

"Do you really think like that?" Annie has her serious look again.

"Nah. I mean. There are moments every now and then that I wish I could, but I do like swimming, and fishing, and my family. This district is my home, and I wouldn't trade it for anything." I'm saying too much. I think we're alone, but you never know. "Why don't we go and start your swim lesson finally?"

"I thought this _was_ my lesson."

"Shut up. " I wade out and pick Annie up off the rocks, and carry her to an area on the beach she'd be more comfortable on. I set her down on her feet. "Now, Miss Cresta, we're going to do just one thing today." I step forward into the water, and let the waves wash over my feet and around my ankles. "This is what I want you to do. This is it. Just stand in this far."

"Can we use the fishing line?"

I splash out of the water and retrieve the wire from where she'd dropped it. I tie one end in an adjustable loop and slip it around my wrist, then tie another and walk back over to Annie and hand it to her. She still won't move.

"Let's try it one step at a time. Baby steps." I take a teeny tiny step towards the water, and nudge Annie to follow. After a moment's hesitation, she copied me.

"Fantastic! Now, let's do another one!" I inched forward again, and Annie hesitated less before following. Step by step, I walk Annie closer towards the ocean, until finally, her feet are submerged. "You did it!" I shout. Annie grins, joyful.

"Still scared?" Annie nods at me. "It'll pass." I scan the horizon and mentally count the number of boats I see. It's getting late. "I need you to practice this. Just standing in the water. If you're feeling brave, you can go deeper, but not past your knees, okay?"

We agree to meet on Saturday, and then sprint to school.

**XxXxX**

The rest of the week is a complete blur. I don't really remember if anything happened. I can't even remember what happened on the television. Training hasn't ended for the Games, but rumors and speculation were rampant. I have no idea who is favored this year. All I could think of was one thing…_Cora._

After my final class ended on Friday, I flew home to drop off my books. My mother is waiting for me at the door. "I washed your favorite shirt for you!" She offers it out to me as I run past. I remove my current shirt and toss it on my bed as I dash to the bathroom. The clean shirt is on my head by the time I get in there. I brush my teeth and attempt to flatten my hair, and then run back down the stairs. At the door, my mother stops me again. "Here, Finnick. Since you refuse to be paid by your father, he wants to cover the date." She hands me a handful of money. I look at the pile in shock. It's more than enough to make this date go very well.

"Are you sure about this? I mean. This is a lot of money."

"You refuse to let your father pay you, so he saves your wages. Over the years, they've really added up." I open my mouth to protest, but my mother closes my fist around the money. "Don't argue. This is your first real date. This is important." I wrap my arms around my mother in a quick embrace before heading out the door.

Cora is waiting for me in front of her house. She's changed from her school outfit into a bright blue shirt. That shirt must have come straight off the Capitol train. Nothing in our district has ever been that brightly colored before. Cora's family is wealthier, though. It's a good thing my parents have given me extra money. I'm sure Cora is expecting something super nice for today.

Cora starts jumping around and waving when she sees me. "You're here! I was so worried you would forget!"

I could feel the smile building on my face. "Why would I forget? I've been thinking about this all week long!"

"So," Cora says, taking my hand, leading me towards town. "Where are you taking me?"

"Well, I thought I'd do best to ask you… I mean, the tea shop is a tad bit overdone, don't you think? And the tea is pretty terrible."

Cora kisses my cheek. "You are so sweet. Do you have any ideas?"

"We can go to the bakery, buy pastries, and walk on the beach." Cora doesn't look interested in this. "Or, we can go to the only restaurant in town?"

Cora gasps. "Finnick, how on earth can you afford it? It's the ONLY restaurant in town! "

I wink at her. "I can afford it."

Cora begins shrieking and hugging me. "Finnick, I am so happy! I haven't been to the restaurant since Callan took me!" I can feel my heart drop at those words. Great. I'd be competing against Callan. He isn't even here! I debate about going elsewhere, but Cora looks so…happy. I don't want to ruin that. _Restaurant it is._

A restaurant in District 4 isn't quite unheard of. By Panem's standards, we're a career district, so more people can afford it. That is, if more people wished to go to the restaurant. It's more for when the Capitol officials visit, or the Peacekeepers. I'd never been, but my father claims he took my mother there when they were dating.

Cora practically skips. I chase after her, and hold the door open for her. As we enter, I can feel people's eyes on us. I'm sure this is the big talk of the day now. Finnick Odair takes Cora Torlan to the restaurant.

The inside of the restaurant is dimly lit, yet warm. Peacekeepers on their afternoon break crowd various tables, loud and rambunctious. I hope our table is away from them. The only waitress hired (the owner's daughter) walks over to us, smiles, and leads us to a table in the far back corner. The noise level drops considerably.

Cora seems to be in a daze, so I scan the menu. The options are sparse. Maybe a sandwich would be nice. Or one of these "pasta" things. _Oooh, _I think as I read to myself. _"Our Pasta's are imported direct from the Capitol, while all other natural toppings are grown in the specialty garden located just behind the restaurant, or are brought in by fisherman. The garden is fertilized with fish remains, courtesy of fisherman _Mr. Odair_." _

_It was nice of the owner to mention my father…_

I notice Cora hasn't even picked up her menu. Maybe she remembers it from last time? "Do you know what you want to order?" Cora looks directly at me, and I can see she's ready to cry. "What's wrong?" I take her hand from across the table. She looks away.

"Callan and I sat at this same table," she choked out. _Uhoh. Not good, not good!_

"Do you want to switch tables then? I can ask the waitress, it isn't a problem..." I scan the room nervously. She's busy carrying food over to the Peacekeepers, and dodging their wandering hands. I try to catch her attention, but Cora catches my arm.

"Don't worry, Finnick. I have to get over him." She picks up her menu. "I do like the cheese sandwiches here. I think I'll have that."

The waitress comes over to the table, and I tell her our orders. She vanishes into the kitchen, and I turn back to Cora. "Cora…were you and Callan a…an item?"

Cora smiles. "We were. For a while. I mean, he was older than me by a lot of years, but he was sweet. We were together for a month or two at the beginning of the year."

I frown. "How old are you?"

"Fourteen. I'm one of the older students in our grade, you know."

I nod. Cora takes a deep breath, and launches into her story again. "We had only dated officially for a few weeks when suddenly, he cut it off." Tears form at the corners of her eyes. "He wanted to volunteer as tribute."

"And instead, he gets selected."

Cora forces a smile. "It's what he wanted. He's got a Career mindset. He practiced running and throwing and swimming. He was strong. And he wanted to make his parents proud and bring us another Victor finally."

"His parents weren't proud?"

"They wanted a daughter."

That's tough. I squeeze Cora's hand tightly. "It will be okay. Callan's a tough guy. I think he'll come home."

"I can't even think of that right now." Cora looks away. "I like you, too! I feel guilty being here, but Callan said it was over. For my own good."

"Well, that was thoughtful of him. He didn't want you waiting, in case something happens. The Games are tough."

"I just want him to come home safe." She starts bawling, and I pass my napkin over to her so she can wipe her face dry. I feel wrong being here. So incredibly wrong. Cora is clearly hung up on Callan. _I should end this. I should just tell her that this won't work, but… If I tell her that, then she'll be even more hurt? Crap._

Our food arrives, and we eat in silence, with an occasional sniffle from Cora. Several times I open my mouth to say something, but I really can't find words. And I'm sure Cora has had enough talk of Callan. Any more tears and her sandwich will turn to mush.

I pay for our meal, leaving the waitress something extra. She deserved it, after dealing with those Peacekeepers and all. I take Cora's hand and we walk out of the restaurant. For dessert, we do end up going to the bakery. She saw a tiny cake in the window, so I stopped in and bought it for her. As she ate it, we walked over to the beach. The afternoon is warm and bright, so the beach is crowded with fishers and swimmers.

Cora and I find a quiet area and take a seat. Down the beach, I see Annie, the water almost up to her knees. She grins cheerfully and waves, pointing frantically at the water level. I wave back and give her the thumbs-up.

"She's so cute," comments Cora. She breaks a piece off of her pastry and hands it to me and I sample it. _Delicious. _

"She is, but she's so tiny. People tend to pick on her. I'm giving her swim lessons." I tell her, feeling safe that Cora wont go off and tell anyone.

"That's so sweet of you. She really needs those. I feel so bad for her, being so terrified of the water."

"That's what everyone says."

We lean back in the sand and start to talk. Cora manages to steer away from the subject of Callan. We talk about the Games in general, the costumes and designers, and what we would do if we could design costumes. We talk about Meri's artwork, then our conversation shifts to school in general. Our friends, our teachers, and what classes we hate. After a while, I sit up. The wind has picked up a considerable amount. Sand is blowing in our faces, and the waves have reached our sanctuary. We scramble to our feet.

The ocean has turned choppy. Above, I can see storm clouds gathering. People have started to flee the beach. The boats are heading in as quickly as they can, fighting the high winds and waves.

Cora grabs my arm. "Finnick. Look at that!" She points further down the beach. A massive wave has gathered and is heading for shore. Then, I realize what Cora is pointing at. Annie Cresta is tangled in her safety line of fishing wire. I jump to my feet, and sprint off towards her.

But I'm not fast enough.

The wave crashes down around her and sweeps her out into the ocean. Cora lets out a yell, but I'm already where Annie had been standing. I pull off my shirt and kick off my shoes, jumping into the now icy water. I try to swim after her, but the currents are too strong. She's too far ahead of me. Instead of getting pushed to shore, she gets swept under the surface. After what feels like minutes, she breaks the surface, flailing and gasping for air. I try to kick over, but a wave drags me under, leaving me right back where I started. I can't think of what to do.

I wait for the next wave to pass, and push my way back towards Annie. At least, I think it's Annie. There's debris mixed in, carried off from the shore. _Wait! There she is! _She flails her arms again, and then disappears. She doesn't resurface. I can't see her anywhere. Frantically, I dive deep under the waves, trying to see her. I spot her through the swirling algae. _She's still conscious! _I kick harder, and my foot catches on something. I kick frantically, but my foot doesn't come lose. What is it? I reach down and wrap my hand around whatever it is.

I pull it up, and I feel a rush of adrenaline. _Annie's fishing line! _I gather as much as I can in my hands and yank on it as best I can underwater. It doesn't do much good. I let myself float back to shore, and then yank even harder. I can feel the resistance that is Annie on the other end. I pull and pull until her head breaks the surface.

"_KICK!" _I scream at her. She begins to kick her feet and flail her arms. Cora has come up behind me and takes the back end of the fishing line, helping me pull Annie in. We drag her up in the sand, and I drop down and help her sit up.

"Annie! Can you speak? Did you hit your head? Follow my finger." I wave my finger in front of her face, and she bats it away. The poor thing is shaking. Cora reaches down and wraps her arms around her. Annie clings to her, as if letting go would seal her death.

"Finnick," she whispers. "I saw my mother."

"Oh, Annie." I take her from Cora and hold her close.

"She told me not to be scared."

"You were going to be fine. I wasn't going to let you drown."

"She was talking about the water. Not to be scared of the water." Annie panted

I'm stunned. I don't know what to say in situations like this. "Did you know," I gasped, still trying to catch my breath. "That you were swimming out there?"

Her face lights up. "I was? Really?"

Cora smiles at Annie. "You were. Kicking your feet and moving your arms. That's the start of swimming. With Finnick as your teacher, you'll be an expert in no time. He can show you how to improve your technique."

Annie looks hurt. "You told her? I though it was a secret!"

Cora puts her finger to her lips. "I won't tell a soul, Annie. I promise."

This mollifies her. She turns back to me. "You saved me."

"Well… I wasn't going to let you drown!"

Cora and I help Annie to her feet, and walk her home. Her father was waiting at the door, having heard what happened from the frantic beach-goers. He hugs Annie first, then pulls Cora and I into a bone crushing bear hug. "Thank you so much," he says, voice cracking. "I don't know what I would have done…losing her mother was bad enough." He whispered.

Annie opens her mouth, and I'm pretty sure she's about to repeat the comment about her mother. Discretely, I shake my head at her. Saying that right now might upset her father more. Annie gets the message. "The fishing line helped, right Finnick?" she says. "You didn't want me to take it. But Finnick used it to get me back."

"Did it now?" Mr. Cresta says, grabbing Annie up, hugging her. Cora and I wave, then turn to leave.

We don't talk on the way home. There's nothing we can say about everything that happened. I drop Cora at her house. "Finnick," she says quietly. "That was brave of you." And then she kisses me.

I run all the way home.

When I reach the house, I don't say a word about the date to my mother. I'm pretty sure she'll tell me I'm too young for this.

_~ Hello, space cadets! Did you miss me? Before I say anything at all, I must tell you, my beta, __**musicisjustme,**__ is a SUPERHERO. No, really, she IS! _

_**-BETA IS INTERVENING-**_

_**NO. I AM NOT A SUPERHERO. I AM A HORRIBLE BETA. BUT. I **_**FINALLY**_** GOT THIS THING EDITED. BLAME MEEEEE. I KNOW YOU WANT TO. ITS ALL MY FAULT THIS CHAPTER HASN'T GOTTEN TO YOU SOONER. I HOPE YOU GUYS LOVE IT AS MUCH AS I DO. BECAUSE. IF YOU DON'T, THEN YOU HAVE **_**GOT**_** TO SORT OUT YOUR PRIORITIES. **_

_**-BETA IS DONE INTERVENING NOW**__-_

_Seriously, best beta ever! Show her some love, go see her fanfics. __**(REALLY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO.)**_

_Sorry it took so long to update, IT IS ALLLLLL MY BETA'S FAULT, and I'm back at college now (booooo!) Luckily, this fanfic provides sanity against my oh-so-annoying roommates! Hopefully the next chapter is up soon! _

_Please please please review! Virtual cookies to anyone who does! ~_


End file.
